I have always enjoyed reading Henri Nouwen's books, but haven't read much from him in several years. If you aren't familiar with Nouwen, he was a Catholic priest who has written many, many books and who worked in a facility in Canada for those who are mentally ill and rejected by society until his death in 1996. While he's Catholic, I have found all of his writings applicable to me as a Protestant as well.
I recently came across an article he wrote that's too wonderful not to pass along. It's about three spiritual disciplines that help us remain faithful to God. And before you quit reading because of the word "discipline," he explains that the words "discipline" and "disciple" are the same word. He defines discipline as "the effort to create some space in which God can act." I can live with that. The three disciplines he discusses are (in order): solitude, community, & ministry. And they're not scary--really. I've read other articles and books on spiritual disciplines that seemed impossible and tedious and overwhelming, but this is different. It's based entirely on our identity as God's beloved.
I'm not doing the article justice, but it's worth the read--to the very end--so if you have 10 minutes, please, please read it. I don't beg people to do things very often, but this is one time when it seems appropriate. To read the article, follow this link. Let me know what you think.
1 comment:
Wow. What an article. You're right. When you really identify yourself as God's beloved, nothing is that scary. One of the best essays I've read in a long time. I feel that each small paragraph deserves a day of meditation itself. I might camp out in this piece for quite a while.
By the way, Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack. This might have been one of his last works.
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